A computerized reservation system (CRS) traditionally has provided a communications network for travel agents or other persons to book airline reservations. Other companies may interface their computer systems with a CRS in order to make information concerning their services available via the CRS. For example, a hotel company may interface its reservation system with a CRS so that when a person books an airline reservation, he or she may also make a hotel reservation through the same network.
The major computerized reservation systems currently in use worldwide share a common heritage and have common business assumptions that were true 20 years ago. Examples of such reservation systems are known under the following trade names and companies: SABRE; AMADEUS; WORLDSPAN; SYSTEM ONE; APOLLO; GEMINI; GALILEO; and AXESS. Using the current systems, a customer chooses an itinerary, based on their desired travel dates and times, then books this itinerary.
Growth and deregulation in the travel industry, and in particular, the airline industry has resulted in a shift of traditional customer shopping patterns. Over the past several years, travelers have determined that there is little difference in service levels between major airlines, with price being the major factor in the shopping process. With the perception of roughly equal service levels, customer service and customer relationships become far more important.
In today's computer reservations environment, the vast majority of customers are treated identically. The customer requests travel space, and such space, if available is booked for the customer, along with any destination requirements such as hotel reservations and car rentals. The majority of preferences the customer may have must be re-stated each time the customer travels, and the reservations environment usually has no knowledge of special events or offers that may be of interest to the customer.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system that provides service and product offers that are tailored either to some aspect of the customer's journey or tailored even to the individual customer. At the minimum, this enhances the traveler's sales experience with the vendor, an in the best case, the customer's entire trip is enhanced by the tailored offers that were provided at the time of sale.